4 Cover Letter Tips for Older Workers

For the purposes of this blog post, an “older worker” is a job seeker 50 years of age or older. However, if you’re between the ages of 45 and 49, you can certainly mine this post for kernels of wisdom.

There are plenty of challenges in the marketplace for workers of all ages, not just those 50 or older. However, the degree of difficulty does tend to increase with the passage of time, and this is the case with the cover letter for your resume.

Below are four cover letter tips for older workers:

#1—Customization is your friend.

A successful job search is all about differentiation, or about how you’re different from other job seekers in a way that makes you more appealing. The cover letter is the perfect place to start differentiating yourself. Take meticulous care to tie specific aspects of your skills and experience to the job duties and responsibilities for which the position is calling.

#2—Allude to a reference (if applicable).

Did somebody who currently works at the company refer you to this job opening? Reference them in the cover letter, near the top of the letter. This is even more attention-grabbing than customizing the cover letter (although that is also certainly important). Of course, you’ll want to make sure that the person you’re referencing is regarded highly throughout the organization. If not, then you’ll surely be doing yourself more harm than good.

#3—Focus on relevant qualifications.

Yes, you may have worked in many positions at different companies and accumulated a wealth of experience and skills. While it might constitute an impressive list of accomplishments, the hiring manager does want to hear about all of it. They only want to hear about the qualifications that pertain to the job opening for which you’re applying.

#4—Implement quality assurance measures.

In other words, have somebody you trust read it over. In fact, have multiple somebodies read it over. And yes, it might be a good idea to select people from different age ranges. Think of it this way: if you’re fairly certain that a professional between the ages of 25 and 35 is going to be reading your cover letter, then it might be a good idea to let somebody you know between those same ages read it first. You don’t want to fall headlong through the generation gap.

So if you’re in the midst of a job search, don’t dismiss or avoid your cover letter. It could be your key to landing a job you love!